Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4, NIV)
I’m always excited when a Links Player wins on tour. Martin Piller won on the Web.com Tour on Sunday, and a week earlier it was Bernhard Langer nailing down another senior major at the Senior Open Championship.
God’s creation is only the beginning of his glory, just a glimpse of what he can do.On many occasions now, I’ve had the opportunity to be in the room when Bernhard has given his testimony when the Champions Tour is here in Southern California. There are a few sayings Bernhard would share with the audience that I will always remember. One of them goes like this: “We are in the land of the dying, and when you have accepted Jesus in your heart as your Lord and Savior you will be going to the land of the living.”
We will all die someday. That can be a tough reminder—until you put Jesus in the picture.
The Bible contains many promises to us from God. The promise of eternal life is always comforting when we lose a friend or loved one who knew Jesus. But you may need the landscape of eternity splashed before your eyes even today. So consider the wonders of our passage in Revelation. If you look into what heaven and the new earth will be like, here is what God promised:
– God dwelling with us
– Every tear wiped from their eyes
– No more death
– No more mourning or crying
– No more pain
– Old things will pass away
For me, one word sums it up: glory.
In a recent Links Fellowship, we talked about Romans 1:20, where we read this: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
We see glory here and now—the beauty of God in mountains, the ocean, forests, and gardens. The intricate workings of our own body are equally amazing. And yet God’s creation is only the beginning of his glory, just a glimpse of what he can do. If the glorious promise of a new heaven and a new earth are what you need today, take hold of that promise and run with it!
—
Dereck Wong
August 8, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.